Controller for gasolene-engines.



No. 890,270. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

I J. E. GILSON.

GONTROLLBRPOR GASOLENB ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1908.

Quota;

UNITED sTATEs Pig-BN1 OFFICE.

JOHN E. GILSON, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO GILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION.

CONTROLLER FOR- GASOLENE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed January 6, 1908. Serial No. 409,495.

trollers or spark timing devices for explosive engines of the gasolene type.

The principle objects of the invention are to provide a spark timing device which shall be'sim le and compact inconstruction, may be easi y applied to a gasolene engine of ordinary construction, and will be effective in operation to produce a spark at the proper time with respect to the stroke of the piston.

With these principal objects in view the invention consists in the particular construction and combination of parts, all as herein-' after fully described and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification :Figu re 1 is an elevation showing a controller or spark timer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 illustrates detail views of the pontact- Wheel for closing the circuit. Fig. 5 is adetail view of the friction-collar which sup ports the operating-lever.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention. I employ in the first instance a supporting shaft 1, which is flattened at one end, as at 2, for attachmcnt to the governor, and is supported near its opposite end by a. bracket 3, the latter being provided with a bearing-collar 4, reduced at its outer end as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft 1 is rovided with a collar 5 contiguous with t e flattened end thereof, and from a point a suitable distance from said 'collar the shaft is reduced in diameter, as

shown, forming a shoulder 6, the purpose of which will be hereinafter apparent.

Loosely mounted on the larger portion of the shaft 1, adjoining the collar 5, is a gear- -.wheel 7, having a hub 8 formed integrally therewith and provided with a cam-projection 9, and also mounted on said larger portion of the shaft alongside of the gearwheel is a contact-wheel 10, having a lug or pin 11 which engages in a recess therefor in the hub of the gearwheel so that the contact-wheel will turn with said gear-wheel. The contact-wheel cooperates with a contact device, hereinafter described, for the purpose of closing the electric circuit at regular intervals during the operation of the engine, and a por-' tion of the periphery of said contact-Wheel is therefore composed of insulating material or fiber which is contiguous with a metal contact piece for closing the circuit. In the present instance there are two contact pieces located diametrically opposite each other, as.

shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The particular construction of this contact-wheel is shown in Fig. 4, in which 12 is a metal sleeve or core ,having an annular flange 13 and opposite contact pieces 14 formed integrally therewith, and located between the contact ieces and riveted tothe flange are segmentaTfiber blocks 15, the outer surfaces or peripheries of which are contiguous with the outer end of the contact pieces. The pin or lug 11 is formed integrally with they metal core and projects from the flange 13 thereof. It will be noted that the flange 13 disposes the main v portipn or body of the contact-wheel a short distance from the gearwheel 7, and that the periphery of said flange is somewhat below the outer eriphery or contact surface of the wheel so t at the contact device will not engage accidentally therewith.

The gearwheel 7 and contact-wheel 10 are confined between the shaft-collar 5 and bearing-collar 4, the latter being held up against the shoulder 6 of the shaft by means of a nut 16 and washer 17. Upon the reduced end of the bearin -collar and confined thereon by the nut am washer is a split-collar 18, which has formed therewith an oHerating-lcver 19 whic latter this contact device is connected to the lever. The bolts 23 which connect the plates 21 and 22 together are also insulated from the plate 21, in the present instance by means of the fiber washers 24 and short tubes 25. The carrier is pivoted to the lever, at 26, and the contact device is yieldingly pressed in contact with the wheel 10 by means of a spring 27. One of the wires which conduct the electric current is attached to a binding-post 28 on the plate 21, while the other wireis attached to a part of the controller, for instance the bracket-plate 3, so that the current will have to pass through the contact devices to complete the circuit.

The controller is geared to the engine by means of the gearwheel 7, and it will be understood, of course that the contact pieces 14' and roller 20 are positioned with respect to the strokes of the piston of the engine so that a spark will be produced at the proper time, an in order to rovide for shifting the lever. so as to eit 161 advance or retard the spark the supporting-collar 18 is rotatable upon its bearing, being in frictional engagement therewith so that it will be held when moved to any extent in either direction. This frictional engagement of the collar with its support is regulated by means of a bolt and nut, as 29, which engage companion ears of said collar; and in order to limit the throw of the lever -'in either direction said split-collar is provided with a stop-pin 30 which is adapted to engage projections 31 formed integrally with the bearing-collar 4 and spaced apart a suitable distance.

It will be noted that by reducing the shaft as shown and mountin the rotatable parts of the controller on the larger portion thereof that all the' parts of the controller may be securely clamped on said shaft and yet permit of free rotation of said rotatable parts; also that the supporting-collar for the operating lever is confined on the reduced ortion of the bearing-collar by the washer. n this manner therefore the tightening of the' nut will securely connect the several parts so that they are not liable to become displaced.

The operation of the controller when applied to an ordinary type of gasolene engine will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, for the contact-wheel 10 being driven by the engine and the contact' devices 14 and 20 disposed with respect to the strokes of the piston so as to close the circuit at the pro or time a spark will be produced at regu ar intervals or when the roller 20 is in contact with either one of the metal pieces 14, and by moving the operating-lever 19 to the right or to the left the time of contact will be changed and the time of ignition advanced or delayed according to t e position of the lever.

The contact device which is carried by the leveris always held in yieldin en agement with the periphery of he wheeI 10 y means of the spring 27 so as to insure the closing of the circuit when the contact pieces 14 pass under the roller 20; and a reasonable tension is kept on the supporting collar 18 in order that the operating lever 19 may be firmly held in any position to which it may be set,

and of course the position of the stopin- 30 with respect to the projections 31 will cate the time of the spark.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters-Patent, is

1. In a controller for gasolene engines, the combination with a rotary contact-wheel, of a shiftable lever, a carrier yieldingly su ported on the lever, a contact device on the carrier insulated therefrom and adapted to engage the contact-wheel, and aspring actuating the carrier to press the contact device in yielding engagement with the contact- Wheel.

2. In a controller for gasolene engines, the combination with a rotary contact-wheel, of a shiftable lever, a contact device pivoted thereto and having a roller in engagementi with the periphery of the contact wheel, and a spring interposed between the lever and contact device to press the latter in yielding engagement with the contact-wheel.

3. In a controller for gasolene engines, the combination with a rotary contact-wheel, of a collar frictionally mounted on a sup ort, a shiftable .lever supported by said co lar, a contact device pivoted to the lever and in yielding enga ement with the periphery of the contact-w eel, and a spring for causing such yielding en agement.

4. In a contro ler for gasolene engines, the

combination with a rotary contact wheel, of

a collar frictionally mounted on a sup ort, a

shiftable lever supported by said co lar, a contact device pivoted at one end to the lever and having a roller engaging the periphery of the contact-wheel, and a spring on the lever engaging the free end of the pivoted contact-device to press the roller thereof against the contact-wheel, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a controller for gasolene engines, a rotary contact -whee1 comprising a metal core having an annular flange at one end and contact pieces at the inner side of'said flange and projecting beyond the outeredge thereof, and segmental fiber blocks secured to the flange between the contact ieces with their peripheries dis osed beyon the flange and continuous wit 1 the outer ends of said coninch-- late or carrier, said contact device projeet- In testimony whereof I have signed my v mg beyond the pivoted end of the earner and name to this specification in the presence of engaging the peripher 0f the contact-wheel, two subscribing witnesses.

andaspringinter '0se( betweentheoute'rend JOHN E. GILSON. 5 of the carrier an the lever to press the .con- Witnesses:

tact device in yielding engagement with the HARRY W. BoLENs,

contact-wheel, as herelnshown and described. ARTHUR R. BOERNER, Jr. 

